Just some kids

Despite the central air in my apartment, last night was one of those nights when it was cooler outside than in. Because I live on the ground floor, I can’t leave my windows open while I’m out, and it gets stuffy sometimes. I threw open the windows, had dinner, and sat down in my favorite chair with my laptop in my lap.

All of a sudden, I heard voices yelling, screaming, somewhere really close, like my apartment had been broken into. I pushed the laptop aside, jumped up and scanned the room, startled, my heart racing, totally confused.

Then I heard racial epithets (fucking Bin Laden terrorist, etc), and laughter. Two white teenagers (in this town I’ve only encountered racist hostility from white folks, but that’s a matter of a whole nother post) had snuck up to my open windows, yelled, and run away. I hadn’t seen them because my lights were on and it was dark outside.

I walked up to my windows, cussed the kids out, slammed the windows shut and glowered, my tranquility disturbed, my sense of safety in my own home penetrated.

I remembered that, whenever I had lived on the first floor in the past, one roomate always kept a baseball bat handy to … repell unwanted visitors.

That was the end of the incident. It wasn’t a hate crime, I didn’t feel threatened or menaced, nothing really bad happened. It was just some high-spirited teenagers out for some racist fun. Still, it might be prudent to keep a bat around.

82 thoughts on “Just some kids

  1. Score card for those of you following along at home:

    Pingpong – sympathetic Pingping – unsympathetic

  2. I am not surprised by Ennis’s experience.

    When I lived in Los Angeles, I experienced very little racism and it was mostly people staring at me sullenly in bars post-9/11. I would just stare back and basically nothing would happen.

    But when I lived in Georgia last year it was an entirely different story. I wear an Anaheim Angels cap at my store and a couple of people have asked ‘oh why are you wearing an Al Queda cap?’ snidely all cuz of an “A” on the cap. Thats a bit nicer than asking me “how the fuck did I get to this country?”.

    The people in south are so blatantly racist that it blows my mind even now. I think it is because they are a majority and do not fear retribution unlike in California.

    To those who advocate non-violence here – Gandhi-ahimsa never works with anyone and it will only encourage young kids to cause damage to you and then MAYBE regret it a few years later. Does no good to anyone. The kid is saddled with Post-Abuse-Traumatic-Syndrome and you suffer from Coward-Syndrome.

  3. Anyway, my point to Seahawks Fan is that such attacks need not be targeted specifically at turbans, and that when one of us is attacked either for being turbanned or Muslim or whatever, the attacker generally doesn’t know or care much for specifics beyond “brown”.

    Muslims and Sikhs have obviously taken the brunt of the 911 backlash, but others have also been affected. So your point is valid. However, I don’t think most of us “browns” really have an appreciation for what Ennis, sim and others have to endure. I know I’ve never been called “Bin Laden” or a “f-ing terrorist.”

  4. Muslims and Sikhs have obviously taken the brunt of the 911 backlash, but others have also been affected. So your point is valid. However, I don’t think most of us “browns” really have an appreciation for what Ennis, sim and others have to endure. I know I’ve never been called “Bin Laden” or a “f-ing terrorist.”

    I agree about the point of turbaned Sikhs. But you should have specified bearded skull cap wearing/South Asian Muslim men. I as a Hindu get picked out for “random” searches by the TSA far more than clean shaven Muslim colleagues from the Levant.

  5. I agree about the point of turbaned Sikhs. But you should have specified bearded skull cap wearing/South Asian Muslim men. I as a Hindu get picked out for “random” searches by the TSA far more than clean shaven Muslim colleagues from the Levant.

    as we share expereinces – interesting anecdote that juxtaposes my above experiences: as a sikh wearing a turban, a stocking hat or baseball hat (all with my dense but neat beard), i’ve flown at least a couple dozen times since 9/11, and have been picked out by TSA only once – late last year. and even then, the tsa agents conducing the search (while extremely thorough, flipping through the books in my carry-on, emptying my wallet) were pretty cool and joked with me a bit. i’m not sure how i’ve gotten so little attention in that regard when other sikhs frequently do, but i suspect it has to do with how i carry myself. i smile, make sure to follow all the rules, and if i have a chance, say something to agents so they hear my total and complete non-accent and slight twang. i also make a point to seem totally relaxed (if not apathetic) and dress like an average young professional/student and sometimes wear college gear. on a couple occasions, they’ve patted down my turban or hat (with my permission), but like i said, only once have i been taken aside and thoroughly searched.

    boarding the plane is another question. things have gotten much better, but on southwest with its self seating, i was often the last person anyone sat next to. as i walk down aisles, the stares and apprehension are obvious (although indian uncles and aunties seem to love my presence and offer a smile). so to put people around me at ease when i’m seated, i’ll flip open my cell phone and call a buddy, so they hear that i speak and joke like any of them. it’s been less necessary of late, but, i do it anyways…might as well.

  6. These kids need to be smacked, they will grow up and continue to have these stupid ideas. And a cricket bat is more appropriate to beat these racist morons.

  7. Here in Vancouver things are alittle different.

    Vancouver police announced on Friday that three Indo-Canadian men who had allegedly attacked a gay man in the 1600-block of Davie Street on May 2 have turned themselves in to police after Tuesday’s public appeal to help identify them.

    But police now say “early indications are that the assault appears to have been random and not a hate crime.�

    Surveillance camera footage from an area Mac’s Store showed the three men purchasing eggs at about 1 a.m. Minutes later, a man walking eastbound on Davie was pelted with eggs by three men, who also threw a beer bottle at him, which missed its intended target.

    A police spokesperson said the victim recalls the men yelling at him, but not what they were saying. He told police they were all Indo-Canadian, 18 to 20 years old.

    Police said: “Because of the type of attack and where it happened and the fact that the victim is openly gay, investigators are looking into whether it was a hate crime.

    “The man targeted in the attack was not physically injured, but was obviously traumatized.�

  8. The sad thing is that both this group and the post before were young people who came from punjabi families and a good chance they were sikh’s

    The come from sikh familes, I get that info from a 2nd cousin of mine who’s a cop.

  9. 39 · Gujju said

    Hindu

    Despite the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955, Sikhs are not Hindoos my Gujju fiend.

    Sorry for what you guys go through. I grew up wearing a juda and a turban in Texas but that was pre-911. Times like this I feel some survivor guilt for what my dad and uncles and brothers go through.

  10. 39 · Gujju said

    You should have yelled back you are Hindu, and not a terrorist. You must wear your markers on your sleeve.

    Doh! I meant to quote this whole bit. And why would a bunch of racist punks be scared of Sharpies, anyway?

    “Come back here! I’m going to draw a moustache on your face.” (A Hitler stache, of course.)

  11. 16 · TheBrownChamp said

    On a side note, I find college white kids and affulent whites to be the least racist and open minded (regardless of their location). Hispanics and African-Americans are the most racist people in Amreeka, no doubt.

    Your kidding right? I think that you probably don’t like poor whites, Blacks or Latinos. Nice way to generalize there.

  12. I am so glad that you posted the posts that you did SIMS. I too am awed by Ennis’ restraint. Ping Pong you are freakin’ delusional. I cannot believe how warped your perception of racism in America is! I hope that SIMS’ post helps you think through your ideas a little more…

    SIMS and Ennis: Just reading your posts exhausted me. It is remarkable how much energy and efforts we have to expend just to survive our day to day encounters of the racist kind (explicit or subtle). it is the continuous strategizing : I should not use my real name when I campaign for said political candidate, I should talk on the cell real loud to assure others that I am American –hence “normal” enough to sit with, I should smile real broad when going through airport security, the list continues. F**K!!!

    That saddest part of this shiz, is that it all eventually gets normalized. The strategies to combat racist attitudes become part of our arsenal and we pull these out like a pro without thinking twice about it.

    And then you begin to tell yourself : its not too bad…

  13. 66 · serenityha said

    I am so glad that you posted the posts that you did SIMS. I too am awed by Ennis’ restraint. Ping Pong you are freakin’ delusional. I cannot believe how warped your perception of racism in America is! I hope that SIMS’ post helps you think through your ideas a little more…

    That fucking does it. I’ve been good so far, but it’s time to say: Ping Ping, change your fucking handle. I was here first, I don’t deserve to be saddled with your delusions, I’ve got better things to do than sit and correct people about mistaken identity all day long, and you’re poisoning my reputation for anyone searching Google for pingpong and sepiamutiny. Go find someone else’s character to assassinate.

    (Open to suggestions from SM Intern about compromises).

  14. I’ve lost count of the number of people (all races and ethnicities, desis included) who have thought I was Muslim just because I was brown and bearded.

    I was born Hindu, am not religious in the least, and recently grew a fairly lush beard, mostly out of persistent inaction on the shaving front. Completely coincidentally, I was badgered by this drunk late teens/early 20s guy about my being Hare Krishna and constantly telling me Namaste. Not in the overly earnest way of some drunks, but more in a heckling manner. I got a bit irritated, and turned back and yelled “I am Muslim! Don’t ever dare call me an infidel again!” That got him right nervous, and he apologized profusely before walking away as fast as he could.

    Own it, people!

  15. I was badgered by this drunk late teens/early 20s guy about my being Hare Krishna

    Aren’t Hare Krishnas clean-shaven and shaven-headed except for a small tuft? I think the drunk may have confused Hare Krishnas with the lesser known Hairy Krishnas.

    A Pakistani guy I know used to be clean-shaven and then he grew a beard, for no symbolic reason. His other Pakistani friends started addressing him as “Maulvi”!

    Regarding Seahawk Fan’s earlier point about brown vs turban, I agree. I wasn’t trying to say that turbanned people get attacked less; I was cautioning against thinking that attacks are solely because of the turban, and that attackers are usually ignorant enough that conflation of turbans and beards and skin color all happen, if to varying extents.

    Here’s a large-scale example from 6 years back: the music video for the Eminem song “Without Me” shows Bin Laden talking in a Devanagari-based language (4:10 onwards). Keep in mind this is not one guy’s ignorance. The music video had to be made by an entire team and greenlit by management, apparently none of whom either knew or cared about why a Saudi-born Arabic-speaker would prefer Devanagari.

  16. First things first – sorry about these ignorant kids. That’s what they are is ignorant kids. I know that does not make the sting of the insults hurt any less but hopefully in time these kids will mature and learn from their mistakes. One can only hope.

    Taking the high road is always easier said then done. Whether it’s getting honked at for waiting too long at a red light that has turned green or getting cut off on the highway by a cellphone talking soccer mom in an SUV, it’s hard not to resist the temptation to curse the at the Mfers. It would be nice if we all drove bumper cars. I would recommend a cricket bat over a baseball bat as it would probably do more damage and would make for a more interesting story (j/k).

    Racism stems from ignorance, fear, and insecurity. All nice liberal psycho babel to try and explain and understand these D-bags, but deep down they feel threatened and do not feel secure in their own frame of reference so they pick on what they perceive as a weaker element in order to make themselves feel better. Much like I yell at a nurse who probably does not deserve it for paging me when I’m tired or a patient is going south. I’m jerk with a good heart but a jerk nonetheless. In any event I probably said things that were racist and insensitive growing up as a teenager but hopefully I’ve learned a thing or two from college, grad school, etc.

    White people can be dicks no doubt, but it’s really a matter of a lack of intelligence. To the average Johnny Sixpack (as my father-in-law’s scotch loving friend refers to dumb white guys) brown skin + turban or beard = muslim = terrorist since Bin Laden wore something on his head and had a beard. “I can’t shoot Bin Laden so I’m going to attack this Sikh.” is the thought process of these guys. Still I think you can find examples that are not exclusively white, whether it is Hispanics and Blacks not holding favorable opinions of one another or white people subscribing to the only white is right philosophy.

    IMHO racism is not an exclusively American vice, nor is it limited to the so-called ignorant South and Midwest. You can find it even in enlightened places like NY and San Francisco. I don’t have the same frame of reference as many of the people posting on this site so I don’t want to insult you guys by saying that I’ve been the victim of racism but I do know how uncomfortable a disapproving stares and persistent gawking at your “foreign” appearance or the contrast of my pale white skin next to my wife’s brown skin, can be.

    Anyway sorry that shit like this still goes on in America. I don’t think we’ll ever get to the point where were all holding a Coke and singing songs together but hopefully things will get better. America is still a young country and much like these kids we have some growing up to do.

    One love,

    Chris

  17. Ennis,, It would be wise to get a hand-gun. Go to the local range and practice. Unless you have a conceal-carry permit, when driving or transporting a firearm, the ammo or the handgun must be kept in the trunk and the other part in the vehicle.

    Find out about the laws in your state regarding handgun ownership.

    I lived in Virginia and now I am in West Virginia. We have a gun culture in these two states. I have three, a high powered rifle 30-06 bolt action with a scope and bi-pod, a 12-gauge pump shotgun, and a 45-auto S&W hand gun.

    I am not saying that you should make it a hobby like I, but you should get one that you are comfortable with, depending on the the size of your hand. My choice would be a 1911 style 45-Auto or a 45 revolver.

    The cops treat you with respect when you have a legal handgun. I know from experince. Do not keep it in the seat next to you

  18. come to the nw suburbs of Chicago. I hear these thrown at me at a good rate!!

  19. Oh my goodness that’s really scary I mean your home is supposed to be your sanctuary a place of privacy and freedom. I think it sucks that those teenagers were causing this kind of trouble. Is it possible to go to landlord of the building or something? Can anything be done?

  20. Interesting. Just to throw in my two cents…I went to a 95% white school in New York City and a week after I began attending, 9/11 happened. Oh those were great times. I only went to that school because my parents wanted me to go “somewhere nice” (edit:majority white school lol). After that I attended a school in the “ghetto” and I def had a better time. I hung out with all types of folks, from the gangbangers to Yu-gi-oh fanatics. I was really surprised when black kids called me a dirty arab, bin Laden, and a whole shabdkosh worth of racial epithets. I always keep the baseball bat and machete handy because I’d love to see the day when the NYPD will do anything. However, my other desi friends prefer cricket bats.

  21. Couple of weeks ago: I was waiting for the bus to uni: two kids (age 10-12)started hassling me, it started with racial epithets, when I ignored them, it got worse to the point when they started throwing things (leaves and papers) at me. I did nothing, I just stood it out. I still am not sure if i should have cussed, bashed or nipple twisted them little obnoxious weeds. I felt bad for the entire week though. Then, I went n bought maself a brand new Ford Focus Zetec:

  22. Aren’t Hare Krishnas clean-shaven and shaven-headed except for a small tuft? I think the drunk may have confused Hare Krishnas with the lesser known Hairy Krishnas.

    Most of the people who shout at you in ignorance will tend to be REALLY ignorant. Last summer my brother (turbanned and bearded) was being harassed by these 3 drunk guys. No matter that there were 10 of us with him, they felt the need to bother him. They kept calling him ‘dothead’. Because that made any sense. I was like “uhhh is this 1987?” He wasn’t wearing a bindi, and isn’t a Hindu woman, but whatever. When they finally saw that making fun of his turban bothered him, that’s what they kept at.

    I had another wierd “dothead” incident. I was maybe 5 years old and the landlord’s son was walking me home from school. Some guy pulls up in a car next to me and says “Is that dot a bullethole?” I wasn’t wearing a bindi, wasn’t speaking to anyone in any desi language, and I was FIVE. Even at 5 years old I thought the guy was a total idiot.


    For my Sikh and Muslim brothers: check out this shirt.

  23. 76 · Fuerza Dulce said

    For my Sikh *and* Muslim brothers: check out this shirt.

    Many Sikhs have a distinct appearance but if that shirt applies to Muslims, wouldn’t it also apply to any brown skinned, Middle Eastern looking person in general? They also have a Bhindransale shirt on the site lol.

  24. “That was the end of the incident. It wasn’t a hate crime, I didn’t feel threatened or menaced, nothing really bad happened. It was just some high-spirited teenagers out for some racist fun. “

    Good. That’s one way to justify it. Afterall, is there another place for you to call home? Where will you go if you don’t like it? Good to see that you are coping and trying to belong in the only place where you feel you belong.

    It is nice to see so many guys actually agreeing that there is racism in america. I clearly remember a while back some guy wrote in lots of detail how he was told by several people on 9/12 in several midwest bars ‘ make no mistake, you are welcome here, you are one of us, we like your brown color’ etc etc. in response to some posts which referred to some racism in NYC.

    Heck, I live in a condo complex which is 80% desi, and the goras being only 1 or 2 in number. Rest is kallu (yeah I am using the non PC terms if you need a noose to hang me). Even in this complex, during membership meetings, there is a tendency for 1. the lone gora to speak as if he owns the place 2. the kallus to shout at the desis 3. the desis be all gandhis and sit quietly and accept everything, and later among themselves say ‘let’s be quiet, afterall when elephants walk dogs will bark’ etc etc 4. the shouting kallus and ruler gora always gets there way as desis are afraid to speak and thos who do speak cannot even express themselves clearly 5. the desis to later say ‘let’s agree to the gora, afterall we live in their country’.

    So trust me, gora racism and desi cowardice is not going to go away anytime soon. Desis will also find some way to justify it all.

  25. oh btw there’s also a black kid in our neighbourhood, maybe 5-6 years old, who stops his bike around desis walking in the evening, and shouts doofus, turbanhead etc. His favourite targets are desi parents. Did i tell you that this is an 80% desi community?

    Desis have been long ‘thinking about’ telling his mom, but none have worked up the courage to face the 6 foot 200lb black elephant yet. Some of them comfort themselves by thinking that it was their new rayban glasses that made the kid say such things (as if the kid cares). Next they will say it was their shiny new iphone that made the kid say such things.

  26. 3. the desis be all gandhis and sit quietly and accept everything

    haha. that’s funny.

  27. oh, and as you’re aware of how docility doesn’t really do much against bullies (even when they’re 6 years old, which is fucking hysterical in it’s own right) stick a broom stick in the kid’s bike spokes as he rides by. i doubt he’ll speak again.

  28. 68 · Middle name Husein said

    I’ve lost count of the number of people (all races and ethnicities, desis included) who have thought I was Muslim just because I was brown and bearded.
    I was born Hindu, am not religious in the least, and recently grew a fairly lush beard, mostly out of persistent inaction on the shaving front. I got a bit irritated, and turned back and yelled “I am Muslim! Don’t ever dare call me an infidel again!” That got him right nervous, and he apologized profusely before walking away as fast as he could.

    Wait so are you Hindu or Muslim? They were calling you Hindu and you replied “don’t ever dare call me an infidel again”. Don’t you think it’s a bit hypocritical of you to complain about the racist remarks they yelled out? Again, I couldn’t quite get what religion you are from your post.